02/01/16

Waves

Some definitions
1) Amplitude this is
how high the wave is:

2) Wavelength () this is the

distance between two
corresponding points on the
wave and is measured in metres:
3) Frequency this is how many waves pass by
every second and is measured in Hertz (Hz)

02/01/16

Some definitions
Transverse waves are
when the displacement
is at right angles to the
direction of the wave

Longitudinal waves
are when the
displacement is
parallel to the
direction of the wave

02/01/16

The Wave Equation

02/01/16

The wave equation relates the speed of the wave to its

frequency and wavelength:
Wave speed (v) = frequency (f) x wavelength ()
in m/s

in Hz

in m

V
f

1) A water wave travels through a pond with a speed of 1m/s and

a
02/01/16
frequency of 5Hz. How far apart are the waves?
v = f x
v=1 m/s, f=5Hz, =
= v/f = 1/5 = 0.2m
2) The speed of sound is 330m/s (in air). When Ricky hears this
sound his ear vibrates 660 times a second. What was the
wavelength of the sound?
v = f x
v=330m/s, f=660Hz, =
= v/f = 330/660 = 0.5m
3) Purple light has a wavelength of around 6x10-7m. If its frequency
is 5x1014 Hz what is the speed 14
of light?
v=f x
v= , f=5x10 Hz, = 6x10-7m
V=f x = 5x1014 x 6x10-7 = 3x108m/s
4) Red light travels at the same speed. Work out its frequency if its
-7
wavelength
4x108m/s,
m. f= , =4x10-7m
v = f x is about
v=3x10
f=v/ = 3x108/4x10-7 = 7.5x1014Hz

Properties of Light

02/01/16

Light travels in straight lines:

Laser

02/01/16

Light travels VERY FAST around

300,000 kilometres per second.
At this speed it can
go around the world 8
times in one second.

02/01/16

Light travels much faster than sound. For

example:
1) Thunder and lightning
start at the same time,
but we will see the
lightning first.

2) When a starting pistol

is fired we see the
smoke first and then
hear the bang.

02/01/16

We see things because they

reflect light into our eyes:

Homework

02/01/16

Luminous and non-luminous objects

A luminous object is one that produces light.

A non-luminous object is one that reflects light.
Luminous objects

Reflectors

Shadows
Shadows are places where light is blocked:

Rays of light

02/01/16

Reflection

02/01/16

Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection

Normal
Reflected ray

Incident ray

Angle of
incidence

Angle of
reflection

Mirror

Using mirrors

02/01/16

Two examples:

2) A car headlight
1) A periscope

02/01/16
Refraction through a glass block:

Wave slows down and bends

towards the normal due to
entering a more dense medium

Wave slows down but is

not bent, due to entering
along the normal

Wave speeds up and bends

away from the normal due to
entering a less dense medium

02/01/16

Refraction

02/01/16

Refraction is when waves ____

speed __
up or slow down due to
travelling in a different _________.
A medium is
medium
something that waves will travel through. When a pen is
placed in water it looks like this:

In this case the light rays are slowed down by the water
bent causing the pen to look odd. The two
and are _____,
air
water
mediums in this example are ______
and _______.

Words speed up, water, air, bent, medium

Finding the Critical Angle

02/01/16

1) Ray gets refracted

3) Ray still gets refracted (just!)

THE CRITICAL
ANGLE

2) Ray still gets refracted

4) Ray gets
internally reflected

Uses of Total Internal Reflection

02/01/16

Optical fibres:
An optical fibre is a long, thin, transparent
_______ rod made of
internally reflected from one
glass or plastic. Light is _______
large
end to the other, making it possible to send ____
chunks of information
Optical fibres can be used for communications
_________ by sending
electrical signals through the cable. The main advantage
signal loss.
of this is a reduced ______
Words communications, internally, large, transparent, signal

02/01/16

Other uses of total internal reflection

1) Endoscopes (a medical device used to see inside the body):

2) Binoculars and periscopes (using reflecting prisms)

Wave diagrams

02/01/16

1) Reflection

2) Refraction

3) Refraction

4) Diffraction

Diffraction

02/01/16

More diffraction if the size of the gap is similar to the wavelength

More diffraction if wavelength is increased (or frequency decreased)

Sound can also be diffracted

02/01/16

The explosion cant be seen over the hill, but it can be

heard. We know sound travels as waves because sound
can be refracted, reflected (echo) and diffracted.

Diffraction depends on frequency

02/01/16

A high frequency (short wavelength)

wave doesnt get diffracted much the
house wont be able to receive it

Diffraction depends on frequency

02/01/16

A low frequency (long wavelength) wave

will get diffracted more, so the house
can receive it

Deviation of Light

02/01/16

This happens because the light is refracted:

RED LIGHT is
refracted THE
LEAST

PURPLE LIGHT is
refracted THE MOST

The electromagnetic spectrum

02/01/16

Each type of radiation shown in the electromagnetic spectrum has a

different wavelength and a different frequency:

long
Low frequency, _____
(high) wavelength

High frequency,
short wavelength
_____
Gamma rays

X-rays

Ultra violet Visible light

Infra red

Microwaves

Radio/TV

vacuum
Each of these types travels at the same speed through a _______
(300,000,000m/s), and different wavelengths are absorbed by different
black
surfaces (e.g. infra red is absorbed very well by ___________
surfaces).
This absorption may heat the material up (like infra red andmicrowaves
_______) or
TV_______).
aerial
cause an alternating current (like in a __

Words black, microwaves, long, short, TV aerial, vacuum

Using an oscilloscope
1) Quiet sound, low frequency:

2) Quiet sound, high frequency:

3) Loud sound, low frequency:

4) Loud sound, high frequency:

02/01/16

Ultrasound

02/01/16

Ultrasound is the region of sound above 20,000Hz it

cant be heard by humans. There are a number of
uses for ultrasound:

1) Pre-natal scanning
2) Cleaning it can be used to
dislodge dirt
3) Detecting flaws or cracks
4) Medical treatment

How does ultrasound work?

02/01/16

reflected at the boundary

Ultrasonic waves are partly _________
as they pass from one _______
medium to another. The time
taken for these reflections can be used to measure the
depth of the reflecting surface and this information is
_______
picture
used to build up a __________
of the object.

Words depth, reflected, picture, medium

Transmitting information

02/01/16

As we said before, different types of electromagnetic radiation can be

used to send different types of information, e.g. an optical fibre:

Optical fibres have two main advantages: they can send more information
compared to electrical cables of the same diameter and with less signal
weakening.
Another example is radio waves:
Ionosphere

The longer wavelength waves are transmitted by being reflected off the
ionosphere (an electrically charged layer in the Earths atmosphere).

Transmitting information

02/01/16

Sounds can be transmitted long distances by converting them into

electrical signals first:
A microphone converts ______ waves into electrical
signals with the same amplitude and ________. These
waves are then transmitted through cables where they
are regularly _________ to reduce signal loss.
Radio waves can also be used as carrier waves:

Signal

____ wave

______ wave

Transmitter

Wave is
demodulated
back into a ____

Words signal, frequency, modulated, carrier, sound, amplified

Analogue vs. Digital

Analogue signals (like talking or
music) continually vary in
amplitude and/or frequency
1
0

02/01/16

Digital signals, however, are either

off or on, and the information is sent
in a series of pulses

There are two main advantages of digital:

1) More information can be sent down the same cable
2) Better quality, because a digital signal can be amplified without
amplifying the extra noise:

The Structure of the Earth

02/01/16

A thin crust 10-100km thick

A mantle has the

properties of a solid
but it can also flow
A core made of
molten nickel and iron.
Outer part is liquid
and inner part is solid

How do we know this? These facts have all been

discovered by examining seismic waves (earthquakes)

Seismic waves
Earthquakes travel as waves through the Earth we call them
SEISMIC WAVES. There are two types:

P waves:
1) They are longitudinal so they cause the ground
to move up and down
2) They can pass through solids and liquids
3) They go faster through more dense material

S waves:
1) They are transverse so they cause the ground
to move from right to left
2) They ONLY pass through solids
3) They are slower than P waves
4) They go faster through more dense material

02/01/16

Seismic waves

02/01/16

S waves will only travel

through a solid
P waves travel through
the Earth and are
refracted when they
pass through a medium

The paths of these

waves are all curved
because density is
gradually changing
These observations tell us 3 things about the Earth: 1) It has a thin
crust, 2) it has a semi-fluid mantle where density increases with depth,
3) a core with a liquid outer part and a solid inner part.